Rogue nations need not apply

In 2016, the world drug prevention community met at UNGASS in New York to reconfirm their commitment and ratification of the long-standing drug conventions. I was in the General Assembly when the minister of health for the Government of Canada stood to announce Canada’s plan to introduce legislation to legalize marijuana in the spring of 2017.

I can report that the world was less than pleased. Canada’s move to legalization will take our country offside of these global agreements and out of step with our international partners.

This radical move also takes Canada offside of the Rights of the Child Treaty which specifically calls for children to be protected from the use of psychotropic substances. Bill C45 allows for the smoking of marijuana in the homes where children reside; it also allows for plants to be grown in the family home.

This should, and in all probability will, not only bring further criticism from our international partners, but see a challenge brought under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Children’s rights must always come before the rights of adult drug users and legalization has this important issue backwards.

In 2015, one million signatures were presented to the UNODC asking for a firm resolve by the UN to not deviate from the drug conventions and prohibition of marijuana. This in all likelihood will cost Canada dearly, including any opportunity to gain a seat on the UN Security Council. Pamela McColl, Vancouver